Power transmission



March 24,1942- H. F. VICKERS ET AL POWER TRANSMISSION Original Filed'Mqrch 30, 1959 INVENTORS HARRY F. VICKERS 8\ Y KENNETH R. HERMAN V ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 24, 1942 POWER TRANSMISSION Harry F. Vickers and Kenneth R. Herman, De-

troit, Mich., assignors to Vickers Incorporated, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Original application March 30, 1939, Serial No.

265,012. Divided and this application Novemher 8, 1940, Serial No.364,778

9 Claims.

This invention relates to power transmissions, particularly to those of the type comprising two or. more fluid pressure energy translating devices, one of which may function as a pump and another as a fluid motor.

Th s application is a division of application Serial No. 265,012, filed March 30, 1939.

The present invention is particularly concerned with fluid pressure energy translating devices of the fixedor variable displacement type and is particularly applicable to those of the class wherein the load forces generated by fluid pressure within the device are carried by the drive shaft and casing largely in the axial direction with respect to the shaft. As an example of a pump or motor of this general class, reference may be had to. the patent to Thoma, 1,931,969. In devices of this general character the pintle bearing for the two-armed yoke has been such as to impose high stresses on the yoke due to the reaction'of fluid pressure forces both in a direction axially of the pintle and also radially thereof. The present tendency in the art is toward increasingly higher pressures, and it has been found that the pintle construction previously used is not capable of use with high pressures since these thrust forces uniformly cause breakage. In addition, at higher pressures it has been found that the turning resistance of the pintle construction becomes excessive due to the friction imposed by the high thrust forces acting radially of the pintle.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved pump or motor construction wherein the fluid pressure forces acting on the yoke are balanced out vthus relieving the breaking stresses on the yoke itself and eliminating excessive friction in the pivot thereof.

It is also an object to provide a pump or motor of improved and more rugged, compact, and reliable construction, capable of satisfactory operation over a long useful life at extremely high pressures and high speeds.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 isa transverse cross section of 9. variable displacement pmnp or motor incorporating a preferred form of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross section on an enlarged scale showing one portion of the mechanism of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross section on line 33 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross section on line 4-4 of Figural.

Referring now to Figure 1 there is illustrated a pump of the variable displacement type having a generally cup-shaped main frame or casing member l0 having suitable flange means l2 for attachment to a support such as the wall of an oil tank. The main drive shaft 18 of the device .is journalled on self-aligning, radial, anti-friction bearings 20 in the main frame to and on combined radial and thrust bearings 22 in a bearing support I4. A seal for the projecting end of the shaft is provided bythe closure member l6. At its lefthand end the shaft I8 is provided with a fianga portion 26 which carries a plurality of ball and socket joints 28 by which connecting rods 30 are articulated to the flange 26.

Journalled onstationary hollow trunnions 32 and 33 in the main frame member to is a swinging yoke 34 having a pair of hollow arms 36 at opposite sides thereof and a valve plate portion inder bores 46 in which pistons 48 are reciprocably mounted. The pistons are articulated to the connecting rods by bail joints similar to the joints 28. At their lefthand ends each of the cylinder bores 46 is provided with a cylinder port 52 opening to the lefthand face of the barrel-44 and cooperating with the valve plate of the yoke 34 in the well-known manner. In order to yieldably retain the cylinder barrel'44 against the valve plate, a stem 54 having a mushroomshaped head 56 at its righthand end is slidably mounted in a bore 58 formed in the stubshaft 40, the mushroom head 56 abutting the inner right race of the righthand bearing 42. The lefthand portion of the stem 54 is threaded to adjustably carry a spring abutment 58. A spring 60 is mounted in an enlarged bore 62 at the lefthand end of the stub shaft 40 and serves to constantly urge the stem 54 and cylinder barrel 44 to the left. Y

The drive shaft l3 and the cylinder barrel 44 are connected together for conjoint rotation by means of a shaft 54 having universal joints 66 at its opposite ends which are connected respectively to the cylinder barrel 44 and the shaft l8;

- trunnions.

A light spring 68. urges the shaft 64 to the left to take up any lost motion in the axial direction inherent in the universal joints 86.

The inner ends of the trunnions 32 and 33 are closed off from the interior of the casing I0, as shown, and each carries aspring-loaded, pressure responsive, four-way valve 88 and 90. These valves have one port thereof connected together by a cross conduit 82 in the bearing member I4 having portions 84 and 86 extending through the frame member I0.

The construction of the valves 88 and 90 are each identical and that of the valve 80 is more clearly shown in Figure 2. The lower end of the valve 90 is of a somewhat larger diameter than the upper end which slides in a bore 92 in a cap 94. A central passage 96 through the valve places the bore 92 in communication with the hollow interior of the trunnion 33. so that a dif ferential area of the valve 80 is exposed. to the pressure in the trunnion 33. A spring 98 opposes this pressure. The conduit 86 extends into the closed end of the trunnion 33 and connects with a, port I00. I04 for a purpose laterto be described. A port I06 connects by a conduit I08 with the interior of the casing member I0. I It will be seen that in the position of the valve 90 shown in Figures 1 and 2, that is, when the than that within the casing I0 to overcome the spring 98, ports I00 and I02 are connected together and are cut off from the trunnion 33 and conduit I08, respectively. When the pressure in trunnion 33 rises sufliciently to overcome spring 98, valve 90 moves upwardly cutting off port I00 from port I02 and placing port I00 in communication with the interior of trunnion 33 as well as connecting port I02 with port I08. Thus pressure oil from trunnion may be admitted to the conduit 85 and transmitted through conduits 82 and 84 to the port I00 of valve 88. Normally only one of the valves 88 or 90 isopen at one time so that pressure oil transmitted through conduit 88. for example, cannot escape to the opposite trunnion 32 through the valve 88,

The bearing construction at the trunnions 32 and 33 includes an improved means for balancing the radial loads on the bearing hydraulically and for insuring that no loads are transmitted to the yoke arms 36 in a direction axially of the For this purpose each of the trunnions is provided with'a pair of radially opening ports H0 and H2 which extend through an are somewhat less than 180 degrees facing to the right in Figure 1. The disposition of these ports is illustrated in Figure 3. The arms 38 are provided with bearing portions II4 which surround the trunnions. There is formed in each of these bearing portions a pair of 'ports H8 and H8 which register with the ports H0 and H2. The ports IIS and H8 extend through an arc of approximately 180 degrees.

Around the periphery of the ports H8 and I I8 there is provided a flexible packing member which is formed as an endless band I20 of generally rectangular shape with rounded corners packing I20 is chosen so that the radial force similar conduit I38 at trunnion 32.

enclosed by the two packing members I32 at A port I02 connects with a conduit to completely encompass the ports IIS and I I8.

The rear faces of due to fluid pressure tending to move the arm 38 to the right in Figure 1 is equal to that portion and 4) These grooves I30 are surrounded withperipheral packing members I32 similar in construction to the packing members I20. Suitable drilled conduits I34 connect the balancing grooves I30 and the back face of packings- I32 with the conduit I04 at trunnion 33 and with a The area that the fluid pressure force exerted therein tending to urge the arm 38 to the right in Figure 2 is equal to the portion of the piston thrust load carried by that trunnion when the other trunnion is on the pressure'side of the machine.

It will be understood, of course, that the trunnion load produced by the thrust of pistons 48 is not equal on both trunnions. Thus in Figure 1, v

if we assume that the trunnion 32 is under pressure and the trunnion 33 is not, this means that the pistons 48 which are in the top half of Figure 1 are subject to pressure while those at the bottom half of Figure 1 are not. Thus the center of pressure of .the total piston thrust is somewhat above the axis of stub shaft 40, imposing a greater load on trunnion 32 than on trunnion 33, The areas of the balancing grooves I30 are preferably chosen so as to carry the approximate proportion of the piston thrust which is exerted on the trunnion not under pressure.

Due to the inherent constructional requirements of the yoke 34, it is preferable to make this part by casting, and in order to provide a. more wear-resisting material than can be readily cast, the valve plate portion 38 of the yoke 34 carries a removable wearing plate I38 which is secured to the righthand face of the portion 38. The

plate I38 carries the usual pair of arcuate valve ports register with corresponding ports I48 and I48 formed in the valveplate portion 38 of yoke 34 which communicate with passages I50 and I52 leading to the trunnion bearings I I4.

The general operation of the structure thus far described is well known in the art. Briefly stated, rotation of the shaft I8 and cylinder barrel 44 causes the pistons 48 to be reciprocated in the bores 48 through a stroke depending upon the angular setting of the yoke 34 relative to the shaft I8. With the yoke 34 in neutral position, that is, with the barrel 44 aligned with shaft I8, the pistons will not be reciprocated at all and no fluid will be pumped, whereas if the yoke be swung to its limit of movement, the piston stroke will be at a maximum causing oil to be delivered through the ports 52 into the valve plate port I42, for example, and delivered through passage I50 and trunnion 32 to the main line conduit I62. As each cylinder comes into register with the opposite valve plate port I44, fluid is drawn in therethrough from the passage I52 and the main line conduit I84.

In thus delivering oil against a high pressure head, heavy radial loads would be imposed on the trunnions 32-33 were it not for the provisions for balancing these loads. These loads at the trunnions 32 and 33 are hydraulically balanced so that the yoke is free swinging. In this connection, if we consider the trunnion 32 as being under pressure, it will be seen that the ports H2 and I I8 balance the radial load imposed on trunnion 32 while the auxiliary balancing grooves I30 at trunnion 33 balance the smaller load on that trunnion. It will be noted that the auxiliary balancing grooves are supplied with pressure from the opposite trunnion 32 rather than with the low side pressure existing in trunnion 33. This arises from the fact that valve 88 will shift due to the pressure in trunnion 32 connecting port I00 to the interior of trunnion 32. Pressure is thus transmitted through conduits 82, 84 and 36 to the port III!) of valve 90. This valve, being on the low side of the device, remains in its upper position permitting pressure oil to flow to port I03 and through conduit I03 to the auxiliary balancing grooves I30 and trunnion 33. At the 3 same time, the shifting of valve 88 connects ports I02 and I03 thus connecting balancing grooves I30 at trunnion 33 with the tank through conduit I08.

Due tothe fact that the trunnions 32 and 33 are rigidly secured to the casing member I0 and further due to the fact that the arms 33 embrace the trunnions over equal areas at the top and bottom of each arm in Figure 2, there is no force transmitted to the arms 30 in a direction axially of the trunnions. In machines where this construction is not provided, it willbe seen that a fluid pressure force would be exerted on the yoke as a whole equal to the cross section of the pressure conduit I34 multiplied by the operating pressure, and this force would be transmitted through the yoke to the casing at the opposite l might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a fluid pressure energy translating devic of the type having a swinging two-armed yoke for varying the displacement of the device and having fluid inlet and exhaust passages formed therein, the combination with a casing for the device of a pintle bearing construction including a pair of hollow pintles stationarily mounted on the casing and forming journals on which the yoke may swing, and means forming fluid ports between the hollow pintles and the fluid passages in the yoke, said ports opening to the passages solely in a radial direction with respect to the pintles whereby the net fluid pressure force on the yoke in a direction axially of the pintles is substantially balanced.

2. In a fluid pressure energy translating device of the type having a swinging two-armed yoke for varying the displacement of the device and having fluid inlet and exhaust passages formed therein, the combination with a casing for the device of a pintle bearing construction including a pair of hollow pintles stationarily mounted on the casing and forming. journals on which the yoke may swing, and means forming fluid ports between the hollow pintles and the fluid passages in the yoke, said pintles extending through the arms of the yoke with an equal bearing area at both sides of each arm whereby the axial fluid pressure force acting at each pintle is transmitted to the casing directly and independently of the yoke.

3. In a fluid pressure energy translating device of the type having a swinging two-armed yoke member for varying the displacement of the device and having fluid inlet and exhaust passages formed therein, the combination with a casing member for the device of a pintle bearing construction including a pair of hollow pintles forming a pivotal mounting for said yoke member, said pintles extending from opposite sides of each yoke arm with equal cross sectional areas whereby the axial fluid pressure forces at the pintle are balanced with respect to the yoke.

4. In a fluid pressure energy translating device of the type having a swinging two-armed yoke member for varying the displacement of the device and having fluid inlet and exhaust passages formed therein, the combination-with a casing member for the device of a pintle bearing con struction including a pair of hollow pintles stationarily mounted on one member and forming journals for said yoke member, and balancing ports associated with said pintles and connected with said passages for balancing at least a per-- tion of the radial loads transmitted from the yoke to the casing.

5. In a fluid pressure energy translating device of the type having a swinging two-armed yoke member for varying the displacement of the device and having fluid inlet and exhaust passages formed therein, the combination with a casing member for the device of a pintle bearing construction including a pair of hollow pintles stationarily mounted on one member and forming journals for said yoke member, and balancing ports associated with said pintles and connected with said passages for balancing at least a portion of the radial loads transmitted from the yoke to the casing, said balancing ports being formed to provide unequal balancing forces at opposite pintles.

6. In a fluid pressure energy translating device of the type having a swinging two-armed yoke member for varying the displacement of the device and having fluid inlet and exhaust passages formed therein, the combination with a casing member for the device of a pintle bearing construction including a pair of hollow pintles stationarily mounted on one member and forming journals for said yoke member, balancing ports associated with said pintles and connected with .said passages for balancing at least a portion of the radial loads transmitted from the yoke to the casing, said balancing ports being formed to provide unequal balancing forces at oposite pintles, and means for selectively transposing' connections of said balancing ports with respect to the passages in said yoke.

7. In a fluid pressure energy translating device of the type having a swinging two-armed yoke member for varying the displacement of the device and having fluid inlet and exhaust passages formed therein, the combination with a casing member for the device of a pintle bearing construction including a pair of hollow pintles sta-' tionarily mounted on one member and forming Journals for said yoke member. balancing ports associated with said pintles and connected with said passages for balancing at least a 'portion of the radial loads transmitted from the yoke to the casing, said balancing ports being formed to provide unequal balancing forces at opposite pintles, and means for selectively transposing connections of said balancing ports with respect to the passages in said yoke.

8. In a fluid pressure energy translating device of the type having a swinging two-armed yoke for varying the displacement of the device and having fluid inlet and exhaust passages formed therein, the combination with a casing for the device of a pintle bearing construction including a pair of hollow pintles forming Journals on which the yoke may swing, means on the casing for supporting each pintle on. both sides 0! each yoke arm, and fluid passages connecting between the hollow pintles and the yoke arms. g

9. In a fluid pressure energy translating device of the type having a swinging two-armed yoke for varying the displacement of the device and having fluid inlet and exhaust passages formed therein, the combination with a casing for the device of a pintle bearing construction including HARRY F. TIGERS. KENNETH R. HERMAN. 

